1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for fabricating a photoanode for a dye-sensitized solar cell.
2. Description of Related Art
A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is recognized as one of the new generation solar cells in that the DSSC exhibits advantages like a simple process, easy mass production and a low cost. A photoanode used in the DSSC includes a titanium dioxide layer and dye absorbing therein. The titanium dioxide layer absorbs ultraviolet light, but not visible light, to convert to electricity. Therefore, there is a need for the dye to absorb visible light to improve electricity output.
Further, to ensure performances of the DSSC, the titanium dioxide layer of the photoanode should meet certain essential requirements, for instance, good thickness uniformity, excellent film-forming property and strong adhesion to a substrate. In the prior art, the titanium dioxide layer is typically formed by a micron wet-coating method, an electrophoretic method, a screen-printing method or a scraper method, and then sintering. However, it is difficult for the foregoing manufacturing methods to meet all the essential requirements. For example, the titanium dioxide layer made by screen-printing method exhibits good film-forming property but poor adhesion to the substrate, such that the titanium dioxide layer is easy to fall apart.
Furthermore, recently, the method for absorbing the dye into the titanium dioxide layer is to soak that layer in a dye solution. Nevertheless, it takes quite a long time, usually at least 8 hrs, for the soaking process.
Accordingly, in the technical field of the dye-sensitized solar cells, there is also a need for a low cost method for preparing a photoanode exhibiting good performance to enhance competitiveness of the DSSC in the market.